Gas turbine engines are generally used in a wide range of applications, such as aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. In a gas turbine engine, air is compressed in a compressor, mixed with fuel, and ignited in a combustor to generate hot combustion gases, which flow downstream into a turbine section.
During operation of the engine, temperatures within and surrounding the combustion section can be very high. Thus, it is desirable to regulate the operating temperature of certain engine components, particularly those within the mainstream hot gas flow path. Some engines include certain structures and features that provide cooling to these components. However, many of these reduce the efficiency of the engine. Also, some cooling features may not be useful in certain operating conditions. Additionally, structures with these types of cooling features may be especially difficult to manufacture.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a gas turbine engine with improved cooling features within and/or surrounding the combustion section. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.